Rebuilding
by Princess Alexandria
Summary: Kim is the architect hired to help rebuild the school after “Magneto” destroyed it in Planet X, but on a world where Jean didn’t die. Both women were betrayed and left by their lovers, can they help each other rebuild more than just the school? Femslash
1. Chapter 1 to 3

Rebuilding

By Princess Alexandria

Average Everyday Love Affair Challenge piece – femslash of course.

SUMMARY: Kim is the architect hired to help rebuild the school after "Magneto" destroyed it in Planet X, but on a world where Jean didn't die. Both women were betrayed and left by their lovers, can they help each other rebuild more than just the school? Femslash

CHAPTER 1

Kimberly came back into the house while flipping through the mail. The television was still on and every channel talked about the disaster. She knew she'd feel better if she turned it off, it didn't say anything new now, days after the Xmen stopped Magneto from killing the planet. Of course no one thought about that for more than a moment, no the news dwelled on the destruction a mutant caused.

"People around the world are stunned by this brutal attack." The reporter rehashed the same comments. "Manhattan is littered with rubble of once majestic buildings, bridges were twisted into useless mockeries of art. The government and FEMA are working to find and help the survivors." Kim stopped her tour of the mail to pick up her remote and turn the television off.

The phone started to ring and Kim almost expected to hear Vicki's footsteps. It bothered her when she did that, forgot. Years of living with someone made it hard to adjust to being alone.

"Hello?"

"Pumpkin," Kim smiled just a little at her father's voice. "How are you holding up?" He spoke gently, and Kim was again grateful to have the dad she did.

"Well, she finished moving out. The boxes she'd stored here are gone. Vicki wants me to sell the house so she can get her money back out of it." They'd gone into it half and half, part of building a life together. It only meant that now that life had to be ripped apart brick by brick.

"Oh," He sounded hurt for her. "You love that house. You designed it. She can't make you sell that. It's more yours than hers. You put your blood and sweat into it."

"Yeah well," Kim clenched her jaw and refused to cry. "I don't know what to do daddy. I can't afford to pay her off. I just started my career." Her voice cracked. This was her dream home and the first house plan she saw to completion after she became a licensed architect. "I never would have gotten a loan for the entire amount by myself. Even with all the work I did myself."

"Oh pumpkin." He sighed heavily and Kim moved to lean against the kitchen island. "We'll figure something out. That cheating bitch isn't going to keep hurting you like this." He used to like Vicki too, welcomed her into the family during the commitment ceremony, Kim thought with some more pangs of pain.

"So have we heard from Jason?" Kim asked.

"He called your mom. He's fine, that's why I called you, so you could stop worrying."

"It's a mad house out there. I'm never going to stop worrying." Kim spoke quietly.

"You always did try to overprotect your brother. He's a grown man now Kim, regardless of his size he is a man."

"I know that daddy. I do."

"I'm going be working in Manhattan on the rebuilding. My firm is a flooded with all our clients calling." His voice changed to be less gently scolding. "That bastard destroyed three of my buildings." It was more irritated and overworked.

"You're not going to have time to sleep or eat are you?" Kim pulled the chair away from the breakfast table and sat. "You take care of your health. You aren't a young man anymore pappa."

"Says the princess, you just want my crown baby but I'm not surrendering it." He teased.

"Yeah, as if I wanna build big ugly eyesores like you do." She teased back.

"Those ugly eyesores paid for your education dear." His voice softened. "You hold on baby. It'll get better, I promise it will."

"Soon would be nice."

When she finally hung up Kim just sat still and stared outside at the new deck she'd just installed last summer and the hot tub she'd bought as a treat for them both.

………………

The next day Kim was staring at her computer in her home office, working out the finishing touches on the house plans for the Robertson's.

The phone ringing made save her work and turn to answer it. "Hello, Kimberly Brown speaking." It was her work line.

"Kim," her dad sounded a little frazzled. "I need a huge favor."

"What ya need?" Her eyebrows drew together, not liking how stressed he sounded.

"I have a private client, not through the firm. You remember them?" It took her a moment to think of what he could be talking about, but once she did she sat up straighter.

"Yeah."

"Their school took a lot of damage again and I can't take the time to go meet with them."

"Pa, I'm a residential architect."

"Baby, I can't help them and what they do is very important. At this point the residential architects are the only ones not flooded with work. The type of buildings they have aren't a huge stretch for you. Think of them as really big houses." He sounded firm and Kim nodded that she understood, not that he'd see it. "I'll email you the contact information. Swing by the house and pick up the backup plans for it, it's filed alphabetically. They may just have to go with the runner up set from the last time. Do this for me?"

"Okay."

"He's used to me only working part time because of my job, so he shouldn't have a problem with you doing it that way." He paused. "I don't have to tell you that you really shouldn't tell the people at your work who you're working for off the clock do I?" He spoke quietly.

"No, I know." Kim sighed. Xavier's institute of higher learning wasn't a secret anymore and she'd seen the picketers once when she drove past them on the way to a work site. Hopefully that had calmed down a bit now that it was older news that they taught mutants there. She'd been grateful that Jason wasn't going there anymore when she saw it. It would have been yet more to deal with at a time when her brother had far too many problems already.

……………..

Graffiti ruined the wall next to the gate, rude bigoted graffiti. Kim shook her head at the hatred people felt and drove up to the gate.

A cool male voice came from somewhere. "Your business?"

"I have building plans for Charles Xavier." Kim looked around until she saw a camera focused on her. "I believe he is expecting me, I'm Kimberly Brown."

"Okay Ms. Brown." A buzz sounded and the gate swung open. As Kim drove up the driveway her eyes widened to see piles of things on the lawn, clearly salvaged from the ruins, complete ruins, of the main building. She finally decided to just park off to the side and walk the rest of the way to keep her car out of the way of people who were working on salvage. In her work she had never yet had to deal with this. Most people were happily planning a home, not having to rebuild after something like this. Hopefully no one died in that.

"Amazingly no one did." A feminine voice answered her and Kim turned to the redhead standing up next to a pile of belongings Kim was walking past. "Everyone managed to get out, thankfully." The redhead smiled and took a few steps closer to Kim. She looked a little familiar, Kim thought she might have seen her on television at some point. "I'm Jean. The Professor wants me to walk you around back so you can get into his office."

"Okay." Kim waited for the woman to get to her. "telepath?" It didn't really require asking, the woman had answered questions she hadn't said after all.

"Yes." The slight hesitant look in the redhead's eyes told Kim that sometimes people didn't take that well.

"My brother's a telepath." Kim smiled at the redhead in a friendly way, making it clear that she had no problems with it. "Little brat used to ruin all my crushes by telling me what jerks they all really were." Her smile faded a little, thinking she really could have used his advice about Vicki, but he'd stopped doing that by the time Kim met Vicki. Maybe he'd had the right idea, god knows his heart was in the right place.

"Advanced warning. If only we all could have had that." Jean had a slightly bitter tone to her own voice and somehow Kim knew that even a telepath could get burned in a relationship. "Well," The redheaded telepath's voice was cheerier, but still didn't seem fake. "Shall we go? I know that the Professor is eager to get construction started. We lost most of our classrooms."

Kim did the polite talk about how she was the daughter of their normal architect, where she got her education, all the details one gave when accepting a job, but her eyes wandered over what resembled a tent city. Tents and trailers littered the lawn, housing who knew how many people.

"The faculty lived in that building." Jean explained softly. "The students are still in their dorms, and a few faculty are in there to keep an eye on them."

"The one's that won the coin toss?" Kim asked.

"The full time faculty."

Kim turned to look at Jean. "Are you full time?"

"No, that little blue tent is mine." Jean pointed out to the field. Kim didn't really know this woman, but she seemed nice and Kim had an urge to take her home and give her a real bed to sleep in. An urge she suppressed, because this was a woman, not a stray cat. She didn't even really know this woman, she just got that vibe that said she was someone worth knowing.

They came around to a large trailer with a ramp leading up to the large door. Kim followed Jean up the ramp and into a temporary office with an older bald man sitting at a desk filled with papers. "You must be Kim, Richard's daughter."

"Yes I am." She gave him the polite smile. "I brought the plans he wanted you to have." Kim stepped forward, aware that Jean wasn't leaving her here and heading back to work. She liked that.

"Good. I was hoping you could work with Jean on this." Kim turned to see Jean giving the older man a confused look. "Jean, I plan to make you the Headmistress of the school once we have a school again." And suddenly Kim felt like a third wheel, because Jean didn't look happy about her promotion. Kim felt a sudden urge to slip out of the room and let them talk, but it would be rude of her to do that. The silence that filled the room showed that they still could manage that talk with her there, standing awkwardly while Jean appeared to protest her promotion.

Dad, when I see you again you will owe me, Kim thought with a little venom as she considered how working with the unwilling would be. Would she have to press Jean to make even the simplest of decisions like she had for that one husband that had no interest in his own home? She hated that job. She went into residential architecture for a reason, and that was families and making people happy by helping them have their dream home or as close to it as they could have. She wanted to work with happy people, not people disinterested in the results.

A hand brought Kim out of her purposeful ignorance of what was going on around her, the only privacy she could actively offer the others in the room. "I guess we could go outside, have some lunch, and discuss the plans." Jean smiled just a little. "It's barbeque again and will be for a while most likely, but you are more than welcome to join us."

"I glanced at the plans, but I didn't have a lot of time to study them." Kim glanced at Jean and then the older man. "Normally I'm working with my own plans, but I'll be up to speed pretty quickly. I just had to finish my own work today before coming over."

"I'm sure you'll be more than adequate Ms. Brown." He told her, and started to move around the desk. That's when Kim remembered her brother saying that his Professor was in a wheelchair. The ramp should have been a reminder, but Kim hadn't caught it. "Jean, if you want to go ahead and save us a table I could escort Ms. Brown."

"Sure thing Professor."

Kim missed the other woman as soon as she'd gone. The Professor was someone that her brother respected a lot and for good reason, but he was a bit intimidating, even in that chair. "Um, I wanted to thank you for helping my brother."

"He's a good man." The Professor's chair started to move toward the door.

"I was really scared for him." Kim spoke quietly. "We all were." It might have been a while since it happened, but Kim still occasionally had nightmares of her brother shrinking away to nothing. "He's barely bigger than the action figures he used to collect, but I'm just so glad he's still here."

"Yes, it is unfortunate that some mutations have such drastic changes." His chair moved outside and Kim found herself following him down the ramp. "But he never gave up. That was important."

"Yeah."

"And you've never discovered a mutation of your own?" He asked her and glanced back to see her expression. Kim had to force her fear of the idea off of her face.

"No, as far as I know I'm just human, but with what's in our genes I think I'd rather be. He's got it tough." She admitted. Some mutations were good and helpful, but her brother's had nearly killed him. "I wouldn't deal with it nearly as well as he does."

"Yes, well it is interesting how even among twins there can be difference like this." He finished his trip down the ramp and turned his chair to partly face her.

"Night and Day, that's us." Kim moved to walk along side of the chair, feeling a little awkward looking down at the man to talk while walking. "Next time I talk to him I'll tell him I saw you."

"Oh, I still talk with him often. He was a very good student." The Professor told her and Kim felt awkward again. He was her twin, but she didn't hear from him very much anymore. He called Mom more than he called her; it bothered Kim that they'd grown apart with his mutation. The Professor probably heard more from her brother.

"Jean will make a very good Headmistress." The Professor started to talk in a more businesslike tone. "And I want you to go to her with all your questions. She needs to get used to the idea of being in charge before I leave. I think its time for a change of pace, change can be rather good at times don't you think?"

"It can be." Kim's reply was more mechanical as she looked around at the people heading in the same direction. She knew that she recognized some of them.

"Jean could use something to occupy her time and mind. Make sure this school is everything she wants it to be." He told her and Kim turned to look at him again, wondering at why this mess here wasn't enough for Jean to think about.

"She's in charge. I've got it." Kim repeated it, knowing she'd gotten a little lucky with that. There would be none of that one person says they want one thing and another says something else. One contact was always better.

CHAPTER 2

Kim watched the redhead study the drawings after they'd eaten, the drawings laid out on the cleaned off picnic table, and wondered if the woman really understood what she was looking at. She didn't want to start explaining the symbols if it wasn't needed, but would the woman ask if she didn't know or was she like the men who would grunt and pretend to understand just so they didn't have to admit to not knowing something.

"What is this symbol?" And Jean finally asked. That at least meant she wasn't robbing Kim's mind for answers.

"That's an electrical outlet." Kim trailed a hand over a line. "This is the wiring for an overhead light fixture." She moved her finger over to the walls. "These are windows, and they'll be tall ones. Lots of natural lighting. My dad's big on that. Used to always yell at us to stop wasting electricity and use the light God gave us. I think he just put in those big windows so he could see if we were misbehaving when he was gardening." Kim smiled just a little when Jean smiled too.

"Did you do that a lot?" Jean looked up from the plans with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Misbehave?"

"Oh no, never once." Kim's tone made it clear she was lying. Jean chuckled and it felt like they'd been friends for a while, instead of just meeting today.

"Jean?" A deep masculine voice called out behind her and Kim turned with Jean to see him approaching, a huge blue catlike man. Kim blinked once and put her polite mask on, rather than stare shocked at his appearance.

"Henry, this is Kim Brown, our architect." Jean introduced her and the man smiled at her. He even had fangs in that mouth.

"So nice to meet you Ms. Brown." He spoke like a gentleman and actually bowed his head a little. "Architect. That is fortunate that we have you."

"Thank you." Kim spoke just as politely and started to relax.

"Jean, I wanted to do a follow up exam today. I know I told you that when I released you."

"Well, I've been a little busy Henry. I'll make sure to come by later."

"Make sure you do." He clearly wanted to say more, but didn't because Kim was there. Instead he repeated himself. "Okay, make sure you do." He smiled at Kim. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

"You to." Kim felt it was a bit overpolite and felt strange, but she followed his lead and nodded back, before he left. "I think we need to check my dad's plans again." She muttered quietly to Jean. "Make sure the doors are big enough."

Jean smirked at her. "I'm sure they are. The last building had rather large doors."

"Anything else I should know so that this place fits the people?"

"Oh, I'm sure we can make this work." Jean held up the plans, and Kim remembered the Professor's wish for Jean to actually be involved in the planning. It meant that this set her dad sent was just a rough draft and that they'd be tweaking it. It meant more time, but Kim preferred that her clients got what they wanted, not that they settled for what they already had.

"No we can't." Kim looked into green eyes and made a decision. "This is just an example. I'm going to draw the final set to your specifications."

"I thought," Jean looked a little confused.

"I don't do things people settle for. It's a matter of pride. I work with all sorts of budgets and there are times when my clients don't have enough for all their dreams, but I never let them feel like they just settled, they need to be happy with what they get." Kim looked down at the drawing they'd been studying. "This was a runner up once and it wasn't what whoever decided wanted. This is settling."

"So what do we need to do?"

"We need to figure out what you want." Kim smiled. "We'll start by figuring out what you like."

"And how do we go about that?" Jean's smile really changed her features and it gave Kim a little pause, it made the naturally attractive redhead look like a goddess. Kim didn't need thoughts like that in her head right now.

"Well, there are two parts to a building, function and style." Kim pulled the separate pieces of the plan into one pile. She twisted them so that they were all facing the same way. "We need to know what kind of rooms and storage you need, the function, and we need to know what you find attractive," Kim glanced up, "the style." She glanced around at the other standing buildings. "Then we try and make the new building fit in with the old, but since it's the main building we have leeway.

"This might actually be fun." Jean leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands, with her elbows on the table. Her green eyes sparkled with something that hadn't been there before, interest in the project. Kim smiled at her again, while rolling up the plans to put them away.

"That's what it's supposed to be."

……………….

Kim had her notepad out and was making notes as Jean thought out loud. "Our art room needs more sinks than the last one had." Kim arched her eyebrow and Jean added more quietly. "It had three. I'm sorry, you never did see it." Jean looked a little thoughtful. "Would it help if you had?"

"Probably seeing it in action would have. Seeing where the traffic flow is, how the rooms are used."

"I could show you." Jean tapped a finger to her own temple, making it clear she was offering a telepathic tour.

"I wish all my clients could do that." Kim smiled and waited for the tour to begin. Flashes of halls of students, students in classrooms, locker filled halls filled Kim's mind and she closed her eyes to focus on the details that hit her. The lockers in the halls made traffic flow difficult, she noticed. The art room was another focus point.

"You teach art?" Kim asked with her eyes closed, taking in the room in her mind.

"I teach a lot of different things." Jean answered her mentally and suddenly Jean appeared in the moving tour of the old building, the students disappearing. "We all do."

"Well, we have some ideas of what's here." Kim's mental version of herself turned to Jean. "Now show me buildings, houses, art, you think are attractive. Then I can guide you to styles you might like."

The flashes of images almost seemed too fast for Kim to follow but she did her best to. Occasionally she'd see images with a man in them, clearly the man with Jean when she saw these places.

"Jean." The voice startled Kim, and the slideshow stopped immediately.

"What is it Scott?" Jean's voice was suddenly weary and wary. Kim opened her eyes and studied the redhead and then the man that had walked up to them. He'd been in a few of the images.

"I heard the architect was here. I thought perhaps we should all meet with her." He gave a small smile to Kim, but Kim noticed that Jean didn't really like the idea. The joy in the project was a new thing for the redhead. "So we can tell her what we need." Kim had the impression that something more was going on here. She noticed the awkward way he stood and the way Jean's earlier joy was gone.

"I'm already working with her Scott." Jean turned to Kim, "Kim, this is Scott, Scott, Kim Brown."

"Hello." Kim offered it up politely, but she could practically feel the awkwardness fogging the area and knew, just knew, that this man was an ex and a recent one. It seemed too like Kim's stilting conversations with Vicki to be anything but. "Um, I don't mean to be rude, but the Professor promised me that I'd only have to work with one person." Kim twisted the truth just a tad to make it her choice with a polite smile, her empathy for Jean forcing her to do it. He shifted his stance, looking a little more awkward.

"Yes Scott, the Professor put me in charge of this." Jean picked it up. "while the rest of you clear the site."

"Oh, well there are things that I wanted to make sure the new building had."

"Don't worry. I've got it covered." Jean's smile was a little fake now.

"Okay then." He sighed, but his eyes still lingered on Jean. As he left Kim watched him for a moment, and then turned her eyes to the other woman.

"Ex?"

"Not even divorced yet." Jean told her and Kim turned to see the tall man walk up to a blonde woman and stand just a little too close. It filled in the rest of the story and explained why the excitement at the project had faded from Jean's eyes. Kim couldn't even imagine having to continue to work around Vicki and her new lover, which would be sickening.

"So now that you've seen what I like." Jean brought the conversation back to work, even the tone of her voice shifted to be more like it had been but it still didn't match. "What's next?"

"Normally I'd show you samples I thought you might like, but my samples are all of houses." Kim grimaced. "I do have the keys to my dad's house; we could look at his if I can find them."

"I'd rather see yours." Jean told her and Kim felt warmed by the interest, another thing she didn't normally feel with her clients. "Do you have them?" Kim hadn't brought them and she probably should have. She wasn't used to working with clients on her own like this and usually these meetings happened in her office at the firm. She couldn't really take Jean there.

……………….

"This is your house." Jean spoke quietly as Kim drove up to the garage, and it held a definite note of approval. Kim blushed a little.

"I designed it. Did a lot of the work building it too." Kim didn't add that she might very well lose it.

"Looks like your dad's love of natural light was passed down." Jean smiled as she looked at the large windows that looked out onto the front yard.

"Maybe a little." Kim put the car in park in the driveway and moved to get out. "Would you like a tour?" Kim asked as Jean slipped out of the car so gracefully. Kim spent the first few moments in the house showing Jean around. The house was actually large for the two people who'd lived in it, but portions of the house were for work.

"You live alone?" Jean asked softly as they walked past the empty bedroom that had been Vicki's office. Vicki hadn't worked from home but they had the space because Kim had built for the future they never had.

"I do now." Kim sighed and opened the door to her own office, letting Jean precede her into it. Jean had a sympathetic expression on her face and Kim normally hated to talk about this, but Jean was in the same boat. "Vicki moved out two months ago, right into her lover's apartment. Someone she met at work, all those nights I thought she had to work late she wasn't working."

"I'm sorry." Jean sat down at the table.

"Yeah, well," There was nothing she could say to that so Kim moved to pick up a binder. "I took pictures of the houses I've worked on. Take a peek and if you see something you like pull it out. I'll see if I can find a few other samples for you. Something more the right size." Kim moved to sit at her computer and logged on.

………………

CHAPTER 3

The site was cleared. Kim looked at it as she drove up and was impressed with how quickly these people worked. Not even one week and it looked like the start of a project not a ruin. She had the draft for the new building in the backseat ready for approval or adjustments and it looked like as soon as they did have a working plan construction could start.

Kim found a large group of people around the back, and the tent city had shrunk just a little. "Kim." Jean's voice drew Kim's attention around to see the redhead walking her way with a smile on her face. It sure made her feel welcome. "You're a little early." Jean said as she got closer. "I would have met you at the car."

"Well, I managed to sneak out of work a little early." Kim blushed a little. She'd had to go in and meet with clients today, do the monthly meetings, and when her coworkers saw her rushing to leave at the end of the day they'd teased about a hot date, if only that had been the case.

"So you've got the plans?" Jean glanced at the tube of plans Kim was holding, a hint of excitement in her voice. It made Kim smile to see Jean seemed to enjoy this as much as Kim did.

"Yep, all done." Kim noticed Jean's jaw clench and turned to look behind her to see that blonde leaning in to whisper into Jean's ex's ear seductively. Kim stared for a moment, before turning to see Jean's clenched fists. She didn't even know that man, but she didn't like him or his kind. People that didn't respect a relationship like that, betrayed like that, no Kim was firmly on Jean's side. She didn't need to know the stories, there were always stories weren't there? Vicki had reasons, had listed them, but it was just selfish disregard for anyone else's feelings. How much would it cost to end a relationship the right way, out of respect for the love that had once been there? Jean didn't deserve to have this rubbed in her face every day. "Where would you like to work?" Kim noticed her voice had softened a bit too much in her sympathy and tried to cover that up with her next words. "I'm hoping that you like what I have, but if not I can still make adjustments."

Jean hesitated just a moment, "Can we work at your house?" Kim was surprised by the suggestion and she knew it showed, because Jean looked like she regretted asking.

"Sure we could. Maybe we could pick up some Chinese take out on the way." Kim offered once she realized that Jean just needed a break from these ruins, and it wasn't just the building.

"That sounds great. I'm so tired of hamburgers." Jean reached out and took Kim's hand. "First though, you need to see all the work we did for you." Jean started to walk toward where the old building used to be and Kim was gently tugged into following along, an amused smile started to form on Kim's face at being lead around like a child. "We just finished clearing out the site, there are still piles of ruined walls and such in the back." Jean spoke as they walked up to the cleaned area.

"You all move fast." Kim gave her praise to Jean. "I think that we should be able to start up construction soon. It will still be a big push to finish by the start of school though."

"We can do it. We're more experienced at rebuilding this place than you realize. You don't really have a rookie team." Jean assured her, then her voice softened and became quieter. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure." Kim turned away from looking at the space to look at Jean, who looked both sympathetic and a little lost. The expression made it clear what the question was going to be.

"How long were you and Vicki together?"

"Six years. We met in college at Metro. I had just started my Junior year in the Architecture program and she was just starting her Medical program." Kim sighed as she remembered how it had been in the beginning, working so hard to spend time together in spite of all the homework and jobs.

"I went to Metro." Jean interrupted softly. Kim smiled at the redhead, knowing that if she'd seen Jean on campus she might have remembered it. It was a rather large school, they could have both been there together for years and still never ran into each other. "So what happened?" That was a hard question, and one that Kim had only recently stopped asking herself. Jean knew the very basics already so she was asking for details. "You don't have to answer that."

"No," Kim understood Jean's need to hear it. It wasn't like others who asked out of mere curiosity. "She'd started coming home later and later, claiming there was a lot of work to do. She's a coroner for the police and we never went into detail about her work because of that, so I just assumed something really bad was going on. The police frown on details on cases being talked about outside, so I was used to being kept in the dark. It dragged on for months and she was always too tired or too busy to make love. You'd think I would have caught on then."

"No, you trusted your lover. People should be able to trust." Jean's voice held a little anger. "It had been months for Scott and I as well. I'm a telepath and I didn't know, when I asked him upfront he lied and I believed him. I was giving him his space to recover from something that had happened to him and he used it to cheat."

Kim wanted to ask what he had been recovering from that would need space, but she didn't. These were Xmen, and she knew that, so it could be anything and most likely wasn't pleasant. "Let's go to my place." Kim glanced toward her car. Privacy would be good and while no one was here with them now, she'd already seen how people seek Jean out. "We can talk there." Kim made it clear she was willing to continue this. It hurt, but at least this pain served a purpose.

As they got into the car Jean's soft voice said something Kim didn't agree with. "At least you don't have to go through a divorce. To try and split up the assets as if our lives together were just a business deal."

"No, I'm going through that as well. Our marriage may not have been legal, but the other things we did to build a life together were. Vicki wants her money out of my house, wants to me sell it. I've been spending every last dime I have for a few months just trying to make the mortgage, because it's now twice what I'd paid before and while she says she wants half the profits, she doesn't think she should continue to pay. She's not living there." Kim gripped her steering wheel tightly. "I'm losing my home. I can't make enough to buy her out and I can't continue to make the payments. My savings won't last forever like this. I know I should just put it up for sale, before I lose all my savings, but I just can't." She started up the car. "I built that thing, planned it for years to make it perfect, just what I'd always wanted. I don't want to move."

"Oh," Jean reached out and rested a hand over Kim's for a moment. "I'm sorry I assumed it might be easier."

"You didn't know." Kim sighed, but how many people thought same sex couples could just split up with less pain and turmoil? Was it because they figured gays didn't have real relationships?

"No, it was insensitive of me and I'm sorry." Jean let go as Kim started to drive. "You're house is very important to you. I haven't really had a home like that. I've lived at the mansion off and on ever since I was a teenager, but it isn't mine. This is the first time I've ever really had a say in what it will look like."

"It makes it mean more." Kim took the change of subject easily. "Planning and creating something makes it mean a lot more."

"It's a rather large house." Jean made the statement a question and Kim sighed heavily as they passed the mansion gates and got onto the main road.

"Vicki wanted children once we had our careers settled. The plan was to start in another two years." Kim remembered the discussions and while she wasn't one to eagerly want kids, she wasn't willing to deny Vicki that. It had cost a lot more to build large enough for a family of four and they'd turned two extra bedrooms into an office for Vicki and a shop for Kim to make her models of the houses. "At least we hadn't started that yet. I never thought I'd say this, but I could see her just taking the kids away and never looking back."

"Were you planning to adopt?"

"Vicki was going to be artificially inseminated. We decided it would be better for her to, because," Kim glanced at Jean with an apology in her eyes, "she didn't have a mutant in the family. My brother's mutation wasn't just telepathy and I couldn't go through that again with a child. It hurt enough with him. I probably carry the mutant gene, any child I have might be…" Her attention returned to the road, worried she'd insulted Jean. "It isn't that I don't want a mutant child, just that I don't want a child with my brother's mutation. I've done research and there are often similarities in mutations among family, not always, but often enough. He's just maybe six or seven inches tall, and if it weren't for the Professor he would have kept shrinking until he was gone."

"Really? I don't believe I ever met him." Jean sounded thoughtful.

"It was a while ago." Kim noticed her favorite take out place and pulled her car into position to turn in. "We were fourteen when he started shrinking. It took us a while to realize what was happening to him and then we spent a lot of time taking him from doctor to doctor for some hint of help. He took so many different drugs, he was refused service at so many different places, and I couldn't do anything." Kim turned when the traffic cleared and pulled into a parking spot without moving to get out. "It was hell and when the Professor called my parents were desperate enough to trust a man they'd never met. Jason left while I was at school, and he was just over two feet tall when he left. We had hoped that the Professor could help him get his size back, but it wasn't reversible and by the time they stopped it he was so small."

"That must have been very hard for all of you."

"It was." Kim opened the door but didn't get out right away. "I don't want you to think I spill all my problems with all my clients." She had just realized how personal the talk was and that she never ever let herself talk like that with the people she worked with.

"No, I doubt you are able to talk about anything too personal very often." Jean said as the redhead got out. "I really like the chow mein here." When they were walking up to the door Jean rested a hand on Kim's arm and spoke quietly. "Don't worry about being unprofessional with friends Kim, you don't need to be."

Jean did feel like a friend and it was nice to hear the woman confirm it. Kim blushed just a little and held the door opened for the redhead.

…………….


	2. Chapter 4 to 5

CHAPTER 4

"This is coming along well." Kim muttered as she got out of the car. The building was underway and the bare bones of the walls were up. It made the building take shape and have a presence, even if the third floor was only partially done. As Kim walked closer she could see another section of wall being erected on that top floor and grinned just a little to see someone flying up to the workers and dropping something off. It was faster than any other way and it explained the amazing progress. The mutations these people had were being used well.

"Ms Brown." A rather emotionless voice called and Kim turned to see a dark haired woman coming her way. "I'm Sage." The woman introduced herself as she finished getting closer.

"Hello." Kim gave the woman a questioning look. She'd never actually been introduced to her, but she had seen the dark haired woman around here.

"Jean is finishing up a workout at this moment and she asked me to show you the progress we've made." Kim felt a little disappointed and it must have shown, because Sage continued. "She should be out to see you in perhaps an hour and didn't want you feeling abandoned until then."

"Okay, thanks." Kim forced herself to become more professional, it just matched how she was being treated. It didn't make sense that Jean would be working out now, but Kim was a little early again so she couldn't really complain. Not that she would have. "So let's see what you've got."

The tour took them past a lot more people that normally worked any site Kim worked on and Kim got to see some people using mutations, but most of the work seemed to be done the normal way. It felt like Kim was seeing professionals as she watched them. These people knew what they were doing. It didn't paint a pretty picture, knowing that most of their experience came from rebuilding this same building so many times. It really could have been the Professor's work for her dad alone that paid for her education.

Jean would hopefully take it better than Kim would if this place got destroyed again. Kim was going to make sure to keep the plans for this place ready, along with the notes just in case. Her dad would have an easier time. Kim sighed. She had never been jealous of her dad before, but she really enjoyed working with Jean and it would have been nice to think it wasn't a one time deal like all of Kim's other clients.

During the tour Kim found very few problems she had to point out. Someone had been monitoring this construction more closely than normal and making sure the details were taken care of.

"Is there anything else you'd like to see Ms. Brown?" Sage asked as they stood on the third floor, with workers busily putting up walls right before dinner. A white haired and dark skinned woman looked up from her own work and smiled at them.

"This is the infamous Kim Brown?" The woman's voice held a friendly teasing edge to it as she stood up and came over to them. "The one that Jean has been talking about so much?"

"I believe we only have one Ms. Brown in our employ right now." Sage's response seemed to have a very hidden element of teasing to it, and Kim glanced at the woman to see if she could see a hint of a smile, but it wasn't there.

"Right Sage," the other woman grinned a little wickedly, "So this must be the woman I hear so much about." Kim glanced around, feeling a little out of place with the teasing and not sure where it was going. "The one that owns a hot tub and never invites us over, even though we work all day on her building."

"Yes, I do believe this is the same Ms. Brown." Sage did have a little bit of a smirk now.

"I hear even Jean hasn't been invited into that hot tub yet." The woman in front of Kim held out a hand and her voice changed to be a little more serious. "I'm Ororo, Jean's friend."

"Did you two want to come over?" Kim kind of had to ask and she felt her blush grow in intensity. She preferred quiet evenings with a friend or two, not large gatherings. "It isn't a very large hot tub."

"Then we won't tell the others." Ororo glanced over Kim's shoulder and smiled at whoever was coming up behind her. "Jean, you've been selfish, keeping this one away from us, but that's all over now." Ororo moved her teasing to Jean and Kim turned to see Jean smiling as she moved toward them. "Kim has graciously invited us to her house for a night in the hot tub." Ororo's eyes gentled a little as they looked at Kim, "So I think we should provide the dinner. Do you like Indian food?"

"I don't know. Can't hurt to try." Kim started to relax, knowing that these women were offering her friendship. It wasn't something she was likely to turn down. Somehow, in spite of being the one to cheat, Vicki had been the one to keep their mutual friends, or the fact that Kim was now single made her couple friends nervous. Kim didn't really understand it all, she just knew that she no longer got invitations to do things. "I can move the stereo out onto the porch." This could be just what she needed, Kim started to feel good about being able to share her home. "I've already finished the inspection." Kim told Jean. "So if you and your friends want to grab some bathing suits we could go."

"It'll just be us girls." Ororo said and Kim knew she was teasing, but Kim's face turned a bright red. She didn't want to turn and let anyone see her like that.

"Ororo, stop teasing her." Jean said and moved to rest a hand on Kim's shoulder. "I know I have a suit you can borrow if you need it." Jean was speaking with Ororo, and Kim looked over at how Sage was just watching the interactions and not really being a part of them.

………………

They'd managed to leave without too many questions. There were a few, but Ororo had kept the anyone else from inviting themselves along by leaving out the fact Kim had a hot tub when she told them that all of them were going to Kim's.

After a nice dinner eaten around the kitchen peninsula, Kim had left her guests to change in the guest room and found her own bathing suit in her bedroom. Once it was on she stared into her mirror and sighed heavily. She was normal, that's the best she could say about her body. It was normal, not sleek, not warrior honed, and not all that curvy in the right places. At least she had a one piece, to hide that she had no six pack abs, because she was pretty sure all three of the women in the other room probably had them. Along with muscles so toned that their muscles probably did ripple. It was daunting to think she'd be out there in the hot tub with them.

As a lesbian, the idea held some merit and was intriguing, but just as a woman it was hard to not compare herself to the other women. This was the strange part about being a lesbian, the part Kim didn't really grasp. How one could be jealous of another woman's figure or appearance and also find them attractive in a very personal way. She called it the 'I want to be her, I want to have her' syndrome.

Well, it wasn't a disaster and it wasn't like these women were likely to pick on her like the girls in high school had, so Kim grabbed a stack of towels and headed out to the hot tub. She could hear talking and the music she'd set up as she moved into the living room and could see the other three in or getting into the hot tub already. It was good Jean wasn't able to see her, because Kim's eyes widened a little to see Jean climbing up into the hot tub in a two piece that made very little effort to be actual clothes.

"Hey guys." Kim put the towels down on the table and moved to follow the others in, feeling a little too closely watched by all three women, but the expressions on their faces were different. Sage was just watching and it made Kim feel like a puzzle the woman was working on solving. Ororo was grinning and clearly amused by something, and Kim worried the dark skinned woman would open her mouth and say something embarrassing to tease Kim. For some reason Ororo liked to tease her. Jean's expression was the one that made Kim look down and focus more on how she was getting into the warm water. Kim couldn't really say what the expression was, but it made Kim very aware of her own appearance and the fact Jean was seeing more of her than ever before, or that Kim was seeing more of Jean than she ever thought she would. "Oh, hot." Kim hissed a little as she put her leg into the water. It felt nice, but it was a set a little higher than she would normally set it.

"With all the construction, it made sense to try and heat our tired muscles." Sage explained and Kim now knew what the dark haired woman had been doing out on the deck right before dinner. She'd been turning the heat up. "I hope that's alright."

"No it's fine." Kim lowered her body into the water, feeling the warmth envelope her. "I usually just take a long hot shower after a bit too much work, but this is probably better for you." Kim smiled. "I can always get us ice water if it gets too hot."

"Drinking it might not help." Sage offered and Kim decided to tease the woman.

"I was thinking we'd pour it over your head as punishment for trying to boil us." Sage smirked just a little, but Jean laughed. It wasn't funny enough to laugh at, Kim thought, but she smiled at the redhead.

They talked about movies and music and other non-personal things for a while. Kim leaned back against the hot tub wall behind her and enjoyed it for a moment while Ororo explained to them all why Johnny Depp really was very sexy. "Wine?" Kim asked when Ororo finally stopped talking.

"That's right, you probably aren't all that interested in Johnny Depp." Ororo had that teasing smile. "Or are you?"

"I'd love some wine." Jean interrupted the teasing Ororo seemed eager to do. Was that woman always teasing or was it just Kim Ororo liked to tease?

"Okay." Kim moved to carefully get out of the hot tub, but felt herself starting to fall out. She sucked in a panicked breath and then found herself hovering for a moment, half in and half out of the hot tub, before her feet were settled back on the ground gently, one in water and one not.

"Be careful." Jean spoke and Kim turned wide eyes over to look at the redhead. "No, I did that."

Kim swallowed and nodded her thanks. Her pounding heart slowed. She wasn't sure what scared her more, almost planting her face on the floor or that one moment when she thought she might have stopped herself from falling. "Thanks." She felt an embarrassed flush to her skin and carefully continued out of the hot tub.

Kim left the door opened as she went into the kitchen, and the way the house was built let the words from outside travel to her. It was clearly not something the others thought would happen though, Kim guess from the tone of Jean's voice. "Her house is beautiful. She did this deck herself and finished her workshop. You really should see it before we leave." Kim smiled a little while she pulled the wine glasses out, feeling a little proud of the way Jean talked about her home.

"And she's funny, and listens, and let's not forget… what else was it Sage?"

"I believe we've heard Kim is also artistic, kind, and understanding."

"I had to meet her Jean. You made her sound like a rival for my spot as best friend." Ororo was clearly teasing, but Kim was still thinking about all the things Jean had apparently said about her. It was a nice feeling, if a bit scary, to know Jean thought a lot of her.

Kim poured the wine and didn't let herself listen is to the rest, so that she didn't appear to be listening in. The women took their glasses and once they were done Kim found herself driving them home, but not before Jean dragged the others into Kim's workshop to brag about the work Kim had done.

CHAPTER 5

Kim pulled up into her driveway after work and got out of her car with a heavy armload of sample books for Jean to look at later. It had been a month and the construction was way ahead of schedule, so it was time to ask about things like flooring if they wanted it delivered in time. Every flooring and trim book she had in her office in town was now with her for the weekend. She also had color swatches, and counter top samples. The counter top ones were in the trunk and would be their own trip to the door.

Fumbling with the keys she managed to get in and set the samples down. It was on her way out to get the rest that she saw a car she didn't recognize pull into her driveway. At first she thought Jean was using someone else's car, but Kim looked into the windshield and felt her heart plummet. It had been a wonderfully month and a half, Kim had started to not feel like Vicki had ripped her heart out physically as well as emotionally and now Vicki and her slut came to visit.

Kim's body tensed and she just continued to the car, unlocking the trunk as she heard the other car pull up behind her. It felt like Vicki was boxing her in so Kim had to stay and talk. Kim picked up the heavy box of samples and slammed the trunk a little too forcefully, before turning to glare at the woman getting out of the car. She did her best to not look at the other one still sitting in the driver's seat and staring at Kim coldly.

"I was in the neighborhood." Vicki spoke softly, but with no real affection. "And since you haven't been returning my calls I thought I'd drop in."

"I've been busy." Kim held the box to her chest and glared at Vicki.

"We need to straighten everything else out. The house…"

"Is mine." Kim glared at her ex. "I built it, I'm paying the entire mortgage now. You ripped apart my life Vicki, but not this. I'm keeping this."

"I own half of the house." Vicki spoke faster and a little louder. "I sunk my money into it just like you did and I am not just going to walk away."

"Why not, that's what you did to me. You're good at walking away." Kim felt angry and used.

"It's my money Kim." Vicki looked over at the driver of the car, who had opened the door and stood there leaning on it.

"So now you bring your little cop to what? Rough me up? Intimidate me?" Kim shook her head and stared into Vicki's eyes. "You'll get your damned money, since that's all you care about, but you have to wait. I'm not selling. I don't care if I have to work all day and all night, I'm not selling."

"I'm sorry it has to be like this." Vicki spoke softly and shook her head. "But I'm going to get a lawyer."

"You lived here two fucking years Vicki. Two years. You're going to do this to me for the equity we built in just two years?" Tears streamed down Kim's face in spite of her wish and prayer that she could stay strong long enough to at least look in control of something. "You cheated on me. I deserved better and I deserve a chance to at least keep my home. We don't need to sell it for you to get your money back. Just wait."

"I looked up what the house is worth." Vicki sighed. "You can't make enough to pay me off and pay the full mortgage. It would take you years. Dammit Kim, this house is going to drag you down. Just let it go. You don't need such a large place alone. It was too big for the two of us."

"It was supposed to hold four." Kim's voice shook as she said that, her pain and accusation clear.

"Well now it won't. You don't need this much and I need a down payment on a new place for us." Vicki glanced at the other woman and Kim hated her for it. "We can't stay in her apartment forever."

"Well, you should have thought of that before you left me for a cop." Kim didn't feel any pity. She sighed heavily and rested the box in her arms against her car. "Six years is worth giving me a chance to try and pull this off Vicki. I'm asking you to not bury me like this. You know what I put into this house. Haven't you hurt me enough?"

"I'm sorry." Vicki had the nerve to sound like she could cry. "I'm sorry my leaving hurt you, but it was over."

"You never told me that until you'd packed." Kim glared at Vicki. "Months of lies and then suddenly your gone."

"I fell in love."

"Well, isn't that just great." Kim turned to look at the other woman just watching. "But don't forget she said she loved me too. Her love doesn't last and you'll find that out when she stabs you in the back too. I wanted to hate you, and to punish you, but Vicki will do it for me. Just you wait."

"That's bullshit." The woman seemed smug in her self assurance and confidence that Vicki wouldn't hurt her too. Kim hoped their relationship ended in flames.

"I wouldn't do that to her." Vicki protested.

"No, just me? Get real, you don't know what love is."

"I do now."

It was childish and Kim didn't think anything she'd said would actually make Vicki think about how hurtful she was being. "I don't want you dropping by to visit me, I don't want you calling me at the office, and I don't think I'm asking too much there."

"Kim, you're going to have to sell the house." Vicki moved towards the car on her way to leave. "One way or another. Do it before you lose everything else."

Kim glared at them as they backed out of her driveway, and considered replacing the locks on the house again as she did. She was shaking as she carried the box of samples into the house, and she kicked the door closed behind her. With the awkward load in her arms, it didn't swing hard enough to latch, but Kim kept moving into the house.

She put the box down and moved to try and do her normal routine, she opened the fridge and poured herself some juice. Gripping the glass tightly Kim stared at the counters she'd installed herself. The helpless rage inside of her came out as a scream and Kim tossed the glass as hard as she could, shattering it on the cupboards. Another glass followed it, before Kim's anger burned out and she started to cry.

……………..

"Kim?" Jean's voice called into the house as Kim worked to sweep up the glass. Kim just sighed heavily and looked at the results of her tantrum, it hadn't made her feel any better and now she had a mess to clean up.

"Come in." Kim wiped at her eyes, hoping to hide that she'd been crying, but it wasn't likely she'd be able to. "I have the samples on the table if you want to take a look while I finish this." Kim motioned to the glass as Jean was inside enough to see her, but she didn't look over at the woman.

"Kim." Jean's voice was soft and instead of moving to the samples she came into the kitchen.

"I don't know how you can manage to survive seeing him with her every damned day." Kim's voice cracked as she stared out the window.

"What happened?" Jean moved closer and Kim felt the warmth of Jean's hand on her shoulder. Kim's body went rigid, but Jean just moved closer.

"They came over. She told me she'd getting a lawyer to make me sell." Kim could feel she was still shaking a little, the fact Jean wasn't shaking made it more apparent. Jean tugged on Kim's arm and pulled her into a hug. It felt strange, but Kim didn't push her away.

"Oh Kim." Jean hugged Kim to her, "I don't know what to tell you, but you aren't alone." Kim's body started to relax, even as a pang in her heart told her she was alone. Friends weren't the same as having a real partner in life. "You broke the glasses?" Jean spoke gently after silently holding Kim a little too long and Kim pulled back to glance at her mess with some embarrassment. She watched the pieces of glass raise into the air, even the smallest she could see, and float over to the garbage. "No need to risk cutting yourself on it." Jean squeezed Kim's hand and then let go. "And as for your question, it hurts to see him moving on so quickly. It's why I'm so grateful you let us work from here so much."

"Well, I guess we could look at the samples." Kim really wasn't feeling up to working.

"No," Jean smiled at her. "I say what we both need is a night out. No ex's, no work, just fun and a few drinks."

"I don't really feel like fun." Kim sighed heavily, but Jean didn't look like she'd back down.

"That's why you need it, because you don't feel like it. You go get dressed in something nice, we'll have dinner and try and find an opened dance club." Jean studied Kim a little too long. "You'll see, it will help."

Kim didn't protest, but she really felt like this was a waste of time. She dressed in something nicer than her meeting clothes and stood in front of the mirror, hating the clothes, but she knew she'd hate anything at that moment, so she just left the room in them.

"I'll drive, just in case you want to drink." Jean told Kim while putting a sample book down. "We can do the flooring stuff tomorrow. Come on."

Kim slowly locked the door, knowing that wouldn't keep out the one person she really wanted to keep out at that moment. She really needed to get new locks.

……………….


	3. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Kim felt boneless as she slipped back into her dark house. A small smile graced her lips as she remembered the dancing and the way Jean had danced with her. Sure, straight girls danced together sometimes, but part of Kim, the slightly tipsy part, let herself fantasize that it wasn't just friends dancing. Her own moves had become more seductive and Jean had not backed away.

Kim and Jean stayed to dance until the place closed, and now Kim had to get some sleep before she just passed out. Jean would be coming by for lunch and for them to get to work.

Kim kicked her shoes off near the dining room table and moved down the hall towards the bedroom. She'd been so tempted to just tell Jean to stay the night, but she hadn't. It felt wrong that she hadn't and Kim almost wished she could go back a few minutes and make that offer. Next time she would invite the redhead and she wouldn't worry about scaring the woman away. Kim nodded to herself as she pulled her shirt off her body and tossed it over the chair in her bedroom. She needed sleep bad, she thought as she noticed how unbalanced she became taking her pants off.

It took discipline to actually go to the bathroom and do the normal things like brush her teeth before getting into what would doubtlessly feel like a heaven sent bed.

Kim fell asleep quickly once she had laid down, pulling a pillow into her arms so she had something to hug.

…………………

The next day Kim had the samples laid out on the dining room table in some order, she'd done it as she waited for Jean. The redhead was a little late and Kim started to worry that the dancing had frightened Jean off after all. How drunk had Kim been? Did she do something too bad? Kim tried to remember, but she really didn't think she'd gone over the line.

Once she'd gone over the night in her head twice Kim relaxed, confident that it hadn't been something she did. The idea that she might have pushed her only friend away had been upsetting, but Jean was better than that. She wouldn't run if Kim were a little flirty, that's all it had been.

So that only left everything else as possible reasons Jean was already, Kim glanced at the clock, a half hour late. It wasn't like the redhead. Jean tended to show up early. Kim sat down at the table with a sigh and opened up a sample book. With Jean the reasons could be simple like oversleeping or not getting a decent shower time for the day, or as bad as having to rush off and fight for her life.

Kim had always been a worrier, she'd worried about Jason even before he mutated. He worried about her dad's health and how much he worked. Kim even worried about her mother, who tended to support promutant political candidates by putting their bumper stickers on her car. Now she had Jean to worry about and Kim finally had to admit her dad was right. She worried too much and it wasn't good for her. Even the family counselor they'd seen after Jason finished mutating had told Kim she couldn't protect the people she cared about all the time, and that she needed to learn to trust them to watch out for themselves. At sixteen Kim had thought the counselor was being oversimplistic and condescending.

If anyone could take care of herself it would be Jean, Kim told herself and turned to see the redhead's car pulling into her driveway. Kim's body relaxed and she mentally chided herself for thinking the worst. Vicki must have really messed with her head the day before for Kim to regress to being that bad again.

Kim watched Jean get out of the car and start to walk towards the front door and Kim smiled at the way the redhead walked, graceful in even that movement. All the Xmen had that utter command of their bodies, but on Jean it looked especially good. Kim blushed and looked down when Jean looked into the window and smiled at her, wondering if the telepath might have heard her thoughts, which were more appreciative than a friend's normally were.

After letting Jean in they spent some time talking about the look Jean wanted and looking at samples. Finally Kim had a good idea of the look Jean wanted and knew she had a better sample in the other room. Kim stood up and stretched. "Come, I want to show you something."

"What?" Jean smiled a little as she stood up and it stalled Kim's thought process for a moment.

"Ah," Kim shook herself out of it and did her best to ignore the growing amused grin on Jean's face. "Something I made that I think is what you are talking about, only scaled down." Way down, her mind added as she started down the hall to her workshop, Jean on her heels.

The natural lighting in her workshop came in the shape of a half octagon of large windows. Tables, supplies and shelves were all along the walls, and the largest model in the room sat on a table by itself, a subtle hint to its importance. "Um," Kim moved to carefully remove the roof so that they could look inside of it. "This flooring is a miniature model of something I think you might like." Kim looked down at the floor, the carpet, and into the rooms she'd carefully built to look like a three bedroom house. A small workout room filled one bedroom, another a bed that most would think would fit a Barbie, and a closet that had very small men's clothes.

"That's perfect." Jean smiled at her almost fondly. "You build doll houses?"

"Ah, no." Kim blushed and stared down into the house again. "This is a fully functioning house with running water and enough room next to it on the table for my brother's computer."

"Oh," Jean's eyes changed from looking at Kim with amusement to looking at her with admiration. "You built this for your brother."

"I just thought he'd like to actually have things that fit. To be able to take a shower or bath in peace." Her hand moved into the bedroom and pulled up a small blanket that had crept down the bed. "I pretend when other people come here that it's a dollhouse for a niece I don't have. Jason hasn't seen it yet. He's never seen my new house, let alone his."

"When did you finish this?" Jean asked gently. "It's so detailed."

"Six months ago." Kim moved her hand to touch the flooring she was showing Jean. "I made everything to scale so in here he could feel like the world still fits." Kim sighed. "I don't know if he'll like it."

"I'm sure he'll love it." Jean moved closer and slowly reached in to caress the bathtub Kim had worked so hard on to make it work. "He's lucky to have a sister that cares so much." Something in Jean's voice sounded like it lead to a painful story. Kim turned to look at the redhead. They'd never talked about Jean's family, had they disowned her? "My sister died." Jean caressed the front door of the small house. "She was publicly standing up for mutants though, I loved her for that, even if it scared me that she was making herself a target."

"I'm sorry." Kim didn't know what else to say, so she rested a hand over Jean's as the redhead leaned on the table.

"She left me a beautiful niece and nephew though, and I see them and the rest of my family when I can." Jean sighed. "So many of the students we see don't have that, a loving family. Sometimes when I was a student I used to feel a little guilty that I did, back when Bobby's dad was a bigot and when Scott was the ever hurting orphan, but I grew out of that."

"Do they know what Scott did?" Kim asked softly, knowing that having her own parents support both helped and hurt. Her dad, especially, kept calling to make sure she was okay, but it just served to remind Kim that she had been hurt sometimes when she had been doing okay.

"They wanted me to come home, but I don't want to abandon the Professor when he needs me." Jean moved away from the model, her voice growing a little deeper with some anger. "And I don't want to run from this. I guess I do understand why you want to keep this place so much, because that mansion is my home and I don't want him to force me out of it either. The Xmen need me, but even without that, it's home."

"At a time like this, a home is really important." Kim glanced around her own.

"I talked to a few people about what Vicki's doing. Just to see if there was anything we could do." Jean said and Kim turned to look at Jean, a little surprised and pleased that Jean cared enough to try and help, but Kim knew she couldn't legally stop Vicki. Vicki's name was on the house. She'd paid half the mortgage for almost two years, but it had been Kim's dad that gave Kim the start up money for the project. Kim hated to think about how much more she put into the house in money and care, and to think that Vicki would take it away and claim a full half. She wasn't even paying these last few months. "And I called my divorce lawyer. He says that it isn't the same, that you don't have the same legal rights as I do, but that doesn't mean there was nothing that could be done."

"Jean, I'm sinking what money I have into the house now. There isn't any money for a lawyer, I'd end up having to sell the house to pay for one." Kim pointed out, feeling defeated.

"Mine agreed to meet with you, just to give you some idea of what you're up against." Jean sighed. "It can't hurt to listen Kim. He said he could meet with you Monday at four if you want to bring him information on anything the two of you owned together, financial records." Jean stared into Kim's eyes. "It isn't easy, I won't lie to you, but you need to do this."

Kim's jaw clenched as she considered it, and then she nodded. She could at least talk to the man. Maybe there was something she was missing.

"He also wants the information on what the house is worth, how much Vicki paid into it and what you've paid into it."

"Okay." Kim could find the files easily. With her job she had to be organized and it extended to her own records.

"My problem with the flooring is that the students are very very hard on the floor." Jean brought the conversation back to work easily. "But I like the look of what you've done here."

"Then we need a flooring that comes is small pieces that can be pulled up and replaced." Kim gave Jean a small smile. "I ruined the kitchen floor when we were twelve trying to cut wood for a birdhouse in the kitchen where is was warm and dad has never gone with a large solid piece of flooring in the kitchen since."

"So you started with birdhouses and worked your way up?" Jean smiled and turned to face Kim fully.

"Well, after I got off of being grounded dad showed me how to make model houses and gave me a table in his workshop that I could use." Kim remembered the hours she'd spent with her dad fondly. "Jason didn't care for building like that, but I loved it. I went from birdhouses, to doll houses, I did a few brief models of larger buildings, the kind my dad makes, but it was always houses for me. Eventually I started learning how to plan them, and I was still in high school. Dad was a great teacher." Kim moved over to an old and slightly dusty model that should look familiar to Jean. The plans had changed, but the house still looked similar. "I'd tinker with plans for my own home all the time. I started planning this house in high school and every so often I'd take out the plans and change them. This was the model when I first started my Architecture program. The plans changed when Vicki and I started talking about kids, but overall it's the same, just more rooms."

"Oh Kim." Jean moved up behind her and Kim felt a little startled to feel arms wrap around her in a hug from behind.

"I'm a little obsessive." Kim smiled weakly. "What I used to do for fun I started to do for work and it means I almost always think of work."

"You have records of the earlier house plans? Before you met her?" Jean asked and Kim just glanced over to her files where they were. "Bring those too. It isn't money, but that kind of involvement in this house has to count for something."

………………….

They picked out what needed to be ordered and then sat around talking for a few hours about growing up. Kim learned about some of the trouble a young Jean gotten into and they'd laughed, but Kim had also learned how damaging telepathy could be to a mind too young to deal with it. Jean lost years of her life after her powers emerged while her best friend was dying. She'd been unresponsive as people's thoughts bombarded her and the Professor had heard and come to Jean like he'd come to Jason. Jean had gone through the countless doctors in the same way Kim's brother had.

As Jean picked up the samples she wanted to go with so she could show then to anyone who asked the redhead started to talk. "If you want I could come by and pick you up for your appointment with my lawyer. I know where he is and we could go out and have dinner afterwards. Maybe go dancing again, you'll need the fun." Jean's grin looked a little wicked as she looked back up at Kim, "And the women staring at you can't hurt either."

"What?" Kim's eyebrows drew together at that comment, wondering where it came from.

"You didn't even noticed the eyes on you last night when you were dancing?" Jean asked and Kim blushed, not wanting to say she'd only noticed Jean. The other people must have existed, but they didn't register to Kim after a while. Jean's eyes softened. "I could hear the women damning both of us for being with each other. If people didn't assume we were a couple other people would have asked you to dance."

Kim was quiet a little while, trying to get a grasp of her own feelings on this. "I don't want to start dancing with people I don't know. I'm not ready for all of that, the senseless chatter as I try to get to know someone, to see if they fit, if we have anything to talk about."

"We talk all the time."

"It's different with you Jean," Kim looked into green eyes. "It's so easy with you, it doesn't feel like work at all."

"Yeah, it is easy to talk with you." Jean moved a step closer. "But what about going out and just having fun, being with people?"

"Like what?"

"Fling, I've been told I need to just go out and have a fling. To just relax and enjoy life and to wash him away with the feel of another person." Jean set the samples she had back down on the table as they started talking yet again.

"Let me guess, Ororo told you that?" Kim's voice was weary. Ororo was a little too wild and clearly didn't fully understand how other people took break ups. "I can't do that, I'd feel worse about myself and I think you would too."

"It would be nice if it were that easy wouldn't it?" Jean sighed. "It's been too long." Kim understood Jean was talking about sex. "You too?"

"Oh yeah."

Jean chuckled. "It must be too long, the way you said that."

Kim smiled and shook her head. "You better be careful Jean, I hear it can grow back."

"What?"

"Your virginity and I'm betting yours is already halfway back."

"Oh, OH." Jean mock glared at Kim and Kim felt something intangible hold her still as Kim tried to back away from a pretend mad Jean. "Oh no, you aren't getting away that easily." Jean's eyes were wicked and Kim did her best to not respond in an inappropriate way to her friend moving closer. "For that you ARE going dancing with me Monday, and you will drive so that I can drink."

"Yes Ma'am, virgin Ma'am." Kim saluted and Jean started laughing, the hold on Kim forgotten. Kim's face was red with her own laughter. Jean was always fun to have around, and Kim loved how they could talk for hours and never get bored.

…………….


	4. Chapter 7 to 8

CHAPTER 7

It was a business complex Jean drove Kim up to, and kept going past identical building after identical building until they reached building G. Kim felt a bit nervous and checked that she had the binder she'd brought yet again, as if it would have disappeared on her. She was willing to bet Vicki was picking up a lawyer today and that things would start to move all too fast very soon.

"Come on." Jean spoke softly and opened her own door. "Do you want me with you? I could just wait in the waiting room if you want."

"You can come in. It isn't like I have secrets from you." Kim didn't add that she'd like to not be alone.

The gentleman looked like a lawyer. He wore the suit and was an older man, perhaps sixty. Kim sat down in front of his desk and Jean took the other seat. "Ms. Brown, Jean had told me about your situation."

"You can call me Kim." Kim told him as she sat with one arm resting on the binder she'd organized the night before.

"Well, Kim, I'm a divorce lawyer. I usually worked with those legally married, but not always. I need to see records, and it looks like you brought them?"

"Yeah." Kim put the binder into his hands. He opened it up to the summary page and smiled at it.

"If only all my clients were so organized." He started to flip through the pages and Kim could do nothing but glance around the room. "So I see you've already had to cancel a joint checking account." Kim remembered that day, it hadn't been pleasant going to the bank with her ex to do that. "And your name is still on her car." Kim had co-signed when Vicki wanted a sportier car. "And it was your father that supplied the money for the lot the house is on, was it a gift to the both of you?"

"No, he gave it to me."

"Well, that's good." The lawyer continued to flip through pages. "This house is legally in both your names." He talked for a half hour and Kim could see him coming to the same conclusion she had. Her only hope was to pay off Vicki, but he used the car's worth in that as well. Still the number he suggested she offer her ex was too much.

"Wayne," Jean interrupted when Kim stared down at the figure. "Is there a way to force Vicki to take it in payments?"

"I can't pay more than I do a month. I can't even keep up what I'm doing for more than six more months." Kim sighed heavily and turned sad eyes to Jean. "This just isn't going to work. Maybe Vicki is right and I just need to accept this."

"No, you don't." Jean's voice became commanding. "There is a way, an advance. I could give you an advance on your work."

"That wouldn't cover this."

"If you think this is the last time I'll have to rebuild that school, you're too optimistic. It's been destroyed on an average of every other year since I started there." Jean sat up straighter. "And we'll need an architect to help us rebuild every time. We've been doing this as a new contract each time, but we could just prepay you for six or seven jobs, and when we use it up we can renegotiate for more." Kim blinked as she processed what Jean was saying, but that was Kim's father's job Jean was offering.

"I'm just filling in for my dad." Kim said, feeling like her one chance at the golden ring was ruined. She could work with Jean again, save her house, but she couldn't back stab her dad like that.

"Your dad worked very well with the Professor, but the Professor is making me the Headmistress of the school and you work well with me." Jean's voice softened. "Ask him, and if he says he doesn't mind I'll draw up a contract." Kim felt confused even though she understood what was happening. "Do you think he'd want you to take the job?" Kim knew her dad and if she called and told him about this he'd tell her to take it. He'd used the money from this job to put her through school, and knowing her dad if he thought taking the job would help her he'd quit. "I'll call the Professor, but if he wants me to run his school, he'll need to let me run it my way."

"Even if we do this, I can't keep making these payments."

"Yes, well if this doesn't work and you have to sell it after we do all of this, the entire value of the house would be yours. You wouldn't lose anything that you aren't already about to lose."

"Well, ladies, if that works out for you, offer her this." Wayne wrote down a figure on the summary page of the binder Kim brought. "And don't let her take you for more than this." He wrote another, higher figure. "Go to court before paying anything more. I don't believe a judge would give her that much."

Kim looked at him and spoke slowly. "Thank you." He smiled at her.

"Don't forget about the value of the car. She can't just count your assets."

They left the building and Jean pulled Kim aside. "Call him, and I can get a contract drawn up. We can get you free of her quickly." Kim rubbed her forehead and sighed as she pulled her phone out. Jean took a few steps toward the car to give Kim space.

Her dad sounded stressed when he answered, and he sounded a lot better when Kim told him about Jean's plan. "You do that pumpkin. I'm too busy most of the time, and if I didn't think they needed me I would have stopped a few years ago, when you were done with college."

"Are you sure?" Kim asked and noticed the pleased smile on Jean's face that said Jean could hear her. Kim watched Jean pull out her own cell phone as Kim's father answered.

"I'm positive pumpkin. You take that job and when you give that bitch her money shove it up her…"

"DAD!"

"I'm sorry sweetheart." He went silent for a moment too long. "I just feel so helpless when you hurt and I can't just kiss it and make it better like when you were a little girl."

"I know papa." Kim sighed. "I am feeling a bit better lately." She glanced at Jean's back as the woman started talking into her own phone.

"Well, good."

"I really like working with Jean on the school." Kim hadn't talked to him in a while. "I'm glad you called me to take it."

"Well, see, daddy knows best." He teased. "I need to get back to work pumpkin, but you call me whenever you need to."

"Okay daddy. See you later."

Kim hung up and then it was her turn to wait for Jean to finish a call. "Alright Professor, and Thanks." Jean said, right before hanging up and Kim could hear some real gratitude in Jean's voice. Jean really did care. Kim was so lucky to have met her.

"So, dinner?" Jean smiled and her eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness. Kim leaned closer and pulled Jean into a hug. The redhead's hand moved gently over Kim's back. "I wanted to help you." Jean spoke quietly. "And I'm grateful you're letting me." Kim started to cry and the weight on her shoulders suddenly was taken away, the worry she'd lived under for months and Jean held her. Kim would find a way to make those payments, she'd take this second chance and make it work somehow.

"I love you." Kim told Jean as she pulled away and wiped at her eyes.

"Love you to." Jean moved to open the car door. "But if you don't feed me soon I might get rather grumpy." When Kim moved to get into the car, Jean closed it after she was in. "Finally, I didn't have lunch and I was wondering if we'd ever leave to eat." Jean said as she got into the car herself and Kim smiled at the way Jean broke the seriousness between them.

"So Mexican or Italian?" Kim asked and Jean grinned at her.

"Margaritas."

"And for food?"

"Whatever they put down in front of me." Jean pulled out of the parking space and they were on their way. Kim smiled and leaned back in her seat, feeling free and just so happy. It wasn't just the money that did that for her, Kim rolled her head to the left and stared at the redhead driving.

…………………

CHAPTER 8

"You know, it shouldn't even be possible that the building is done already." Kim told Jean quietly while placing another piece of flooring down. It was the weekend and Kim had volunteered to help a little. She'd been doing that more and more as the detail work fell to Jean. Kim then looked up and smirked, amused at herself for thinking Jean needed the help as she watched Jean use telekinetics to lay an entire row of flooring at once. "Nevermind."

"What?" Jean turned and grinned at Kim, clearly amused and teasing.

"You could have told me that you didn't need help." Kim waved to the newly laid floor.

"Well, I could use the company. With my skipping out so much during construction to 'work' with you I had to put in more work."

"Blaming me are you?" Kim picked up another square of flooring, her voice teasing.

"If I can manage it." Jean waved a hand and another row of flooring moved into place. "Besides, you were just going to sit at home and worry about your meeting with Vicki today."

"Most likely Vicki and her new bitch." Kim muttered, knowing her ex lacked the decency to come to the meeting about the house alone. Wayne had offered to go with her, but he was her lawyer, sort of, and Vicki had her own.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Jean asked and Kim looked up from her work to see she had Jean's full attention. "At least during our last meeting Scott had the decency to leave Emma home, even if I have to see them here all the time. She wasn't a part of the divorce hearing."

"It's not going to be fun. I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask, I offered." Jean moved closer and squatted down to be eye level with Kim, who had been working on the floor. "I could go and if Vicki doesn't bring her new lover I could wait in the hall for you, but if she does I'll go in and stare at you adoringly."

"What?" Kim chuckled a little.

"You're not moving on has to be an ego stroker for Vicki, like she was powerful enough to hurt you like that. But if you've replaced her, well…" Jean shrugged, but her grin was infectious. Kim found its twin on her own face as she imagined what Vicki would think if Kim brought such an amazingly attractive woman with her.

"Amazingly attractive?" Jean repeated Kim's thought and Kim blushed as the redhead smiled.

"And unbelievably nosy."

"You projected that one." Jean told her and Kim's blush grew, knowing enough about telepathy from her brother to know if that were true it was her own fault. Kim knew just enough about mental shields to know the difference between sharing thoughts with the world and keeping them to herself.

"Sorry."

"For the compliment? Don't you dare be." Jean's expression softened. "But if you want I could work with you on shielding your thoughts a bit more."

"I'm out of practice." Kim admitted.

"We'll work on it." Jean rested a hand on Kim's arm. "Am I coming with you?"

"Sure." Kim could take Jean out to do something afterwards to make up for it.

…………….

Kim took a deep breath as the car stopped outside of Vicki's lawyer's office, where the meeting was going to be. It was the first meeting, and Kim hadn't offered the money until there were witnesses and paperwork to keep Vicki from taking it and also going after the house. Kim would like to believe Vicki wouldn't do that, but it was like she'd never known Vicki now. The woman wasn't at all like Kim thought she was. Even after years together Kim was still surprised by all of this.

Jean squeezed her hand and didn't say anything, just held her hand for a moment, until Kim moved to open the car door. She could see Vicki's car was already here. Now to just see if that cop was as well.

The door jangled as Kim pushed it opened and stepped inside, a bell alerting all to her arrival. She glanced around the lobby for a moment and was grateful to not see anyone but the receptionist there. It gave her a few more moments. "Hello, I'm Kimberly Brown." She announced herself to the woman at the desk and then glanced back at Jean, who moved closer and lightly reached up to touch her temple, making it look like an itch, but then Kim felt the soft mental touch Jean had warned her about. The cop is in the room with her. Jean's mental voice told her and Kim sighed, before turning back to the receptionist.

"They are already in the conference room."

"Is Wayne Grenshaw here as well?" Kim asked as the receptionist stood to lead them to the room.

"Not yet." Jean's hand rested on Kim's shoulder as the receptionist spoke.

"He'll be here." Jean told her and smiled just a little. "I saw him parking his car." Kim started to relax just a little. She'd hired him for this once she had the money, knowing that Vicki wouldn't be able to manipulate her as easily if Kim had legal backup.

"We'll wait for him." Kim moved back away from the desk and moved to sit in a chair, glancing up at Jean as the woman sat with her.

I can't believe how much of a jerk Vicki ended up being, to actually bring company to our divorce, this is essentially the end of our relationship, our last legal tie, and she brought that woman. Kim mentally muttered to Jean.

Jean appeared to pick up a magazine and flip through it, but Kim felt the mental touch that told her someone had heard her. Well, how devoted did you want me to be? Shall I act like you hung the moon, or something a little less blatant?

You don't have to actually pretend to be my lover. Kim sent back.

Oh but I want to. Jean's mental voice hardened just a little. Vicki knew having her new lover here would hurt you, but didn't care enough to consider your feelings in this. She just wanted to make it easy for them to go celebrate after you are forced to sell. Kim's jaw clenched as she heard that.

The door opened and Wayne nodded to them. Too blatant and it seems false. Kim replied silently and stood up. She was used to silent conversations and was able to do it without appearing to. but if it slips you've been in my hot tub it couldn't hurt.

You don't normally invite people over for that do you? I knew Ororo was pushing you too hard. Jean sent as they started walking towards the conference room.

Wayne held the door opened for them and Kim smiled at him and walked in, focusing more on the chair she'd take than the women staring at her. She did see Vicki staring at Jean as if wondering what the hell Jean was doing there and who she was when Jean took the seat next to Kim. "Vicki." Kim's voice was flat and held no warmth at all.

"Kim." Vicki's eyes moved toward Jean, in that silent way Vicki used to ask her questions, for that one moment actually seeming like the woman Kim had known. Kim just glanced toward the cop and back into Vicki's eyes, while raising one eyebrow as if to say why the hell would you bring her, and you can't honestly think I can't have someone if you do.

"Before we get started, I took the liberty of printing out the value of that jaguar in the parking lot." Wayne opened his briefcase and slid a paper out to a surprised looking Vicki. "Does that look about right to you?"

"She never made payments on that." Vicki's voice rose.

"But I do believe she did make the down payment, didn't you Kim?" Wayne asked her.

"Yeah, I did."

"Kim, you can't be going after my car." Vicki stared at her and Kim felt bad for just a moment, but then it went away.

"It's worth a lot. You didn't just buy a Honda Civic." Kim sighed. "It's all our assets Vicki, not just the house. You can't just try to take what's mine without opening yourself up to the same thing."

"I believe that we can come to some conclusion that will make both parties happy." Wayne interrupted as the other lawyer picked up the paper he'd brought.

Jean moved to rest a hand on Kim's and squeezed it gently in support. Kim turned to give her a small smile of thanks and then turned back in time to see Vicki's eyes staring at Jean's hand over Kim's.

………………..

The meeting lasted an hour and Kim felt a sense of triumph the moment Vicki realized that Kim wouldn't be selling the house to pay her off. Vicki almost looked disappointed that Kim would get to keep the house while Vicki only got some money. She also looked like she had a million questions, but Vicki's own lover was talking to her so she couldn't follow Kim and Jean out of the office to ask them.

Kim smiled at Wayne as he gave her the thumbs up sign and moved to his own car. That man had beat the price down mercilessly and now Kim owned her own home by herself. "I'm baking him cookies." Kim told Jean and leaned into the woman as they walked to the car. "But you deserve a whole cake for that performance, not over the top, but clearly enough to make me look like an amazing stud to have gotten you." Jean laughed and Kim joined her, ignoring the looks Vicki was sending their way out the glass door of the office building.

Kim moved to open the car door, but found she lacked the room to move so she could, because a redhead was pinning her to the car with a wicked smile. "I like chocolate cake." Jean leaned in and Kim knew it was a kiss coming her way, and it may have been for appearances, but Kim wrapped her arms around Jean and gave as good as she could, but she doubted it was as good as she got. "So now that you have that house to yourself and Vicki is properly pissed, how about we go buy you some new locks? I know you've wanted them." Jean pulled back and finished opening the car door, so Kim had to move to get in. "And then we can start baking."

Kim noticed that Vicki's new girlfriend didn't look very happy with Vicki as they drove past and it was nice to see trouble in paradise. It was also nice to feel like she didn't really care why. "You did okay." Jean told her softly and reached out to take Kim's hand. After the numerous times Jean had done that today it really did seem natural to continue to hold it while they drove away.

………………..

Kim had a small smile on her face as she stood in front of the new building, the largest she'd ever been a part of creating, while the Professor said a few words. He was a charismatic man and she could see why her brother thought so highly of him. "And one more thing," He turned to her and Kim felt like more eyes turned to her. There were a lot of Xmen listening to his opening of the building. "This building was a joint effort between mutants and humans." He smiled at her. "And a bridging of the gap between us. Thank you Kimberly for not only helping to recreate this beautiful school, but for being willing to do it over and over again." He chuckled and Kim blushed, but a wave of playfulness had her respond loudly so all could hear.

"Try to keep this one standing long enough for us to at least take some pictures." A few people chuckled and Jean moved to rest a hand on Kim's shoulder, leaning in closer.

"Seriously though, thank you Kimberly." Charles stared into her eyes. "It's good to know we have some human allies in all of this insanity."

"Oh, lets bow down to our token human and stare in wonder." A feminine voice nearby mocked not too quietly and Kim felt Jean's hand tighten on her shoulder for a moment. Kim glanced over at the blonde woman and just shook her head at the childishness. That woman wasn't worth a response.

Kim turned to smile at Jean and spoke more quietly than Emma had. "I think her dye job is burning her scalp and making her cranky." Jean's green eyes filled with mirth at that. "Or perhaps she tried to dye other things, that would explain that pained expression." Jean laughed out loud and Kim giggled quietly, ignoring the glare the blonde was giving her, Emma was just a man stealing slut after all. What did it matter what a woman like that thought of Kim.

The Professor didn't speak too long, but long enough for Kim to be grateful that the houses she normally built didn't require a grand opening. His last words drew Kim's full attention again. "Once we are settled and actually have the furniture in we will have a party. I'm thinking next Friday night." He glanced at Kim and then Jean. "A party to celebrate the school's losing a tired old headmaster and gaining a new headmistress."

A few people muttered and Kim started to wonder if that had been a secret. She glanced around and saw that people hadn't known, except of course the blonde, who again looked like she'd bit into something disgusting. Probably not too thrilled with the idea of the woman whose husband she stole being her boss. Kim grinned a little, there was some justice in the world and Jean could take it if she wanted it.

If Kim were Jean she might start by giving Emma all the early morning classes, and Scott the late afternoon ones. Kim considered a job she'd never had and wondered if the problem kids could all be put in Emma's class at oh dark thirty. "You're having too much fun." Jean whispered. "And broadcasting. She has to hear you." Kim grinned a little guiltily and started to pay attention to the Professor again. "Good ideas though." Jean said quietly.

"So I expect everyone to attend as the school is given new leadership to push forth into the future." The Professor finished his speech and Kim sighed in relief. He talked too much.

Quite a few people came closer to congratulate Jean and Kim stayed nearby, just feeling like that was where she needed to be. A few others went inside to see the completed building, those that hadn't been working on the detailed work.

Once Jean and Kim had fewer people around, Jean leaned closer to Kim. "You will go to that party with me, won't you?"

"Sure."

"Good, oh and Kim," Jean's voice drew Kim's full attention. Jean smiled softly and stared into her eyes. "I," Jean sighed, "Nevermind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Jean's smile wasn't as real as others Kim had seen. She was about to ask about that, but then someone else came up to talk to Jean, and someone started asking Kim questions about the building. And after that more came and soon Kim just had to let it go or it would seem odd to bring it up.

…………………..

"So," Kim stretched the word out as she lounged on her couch, looking at Jean who had the other side of it. "Now you can shower anytime you want, you have actual walls and a door."

"And yet I prefer to spend my time here." Jean added and stared into her glass. "This place is just more comfortable, and hey it comes with pleasant company."

"What? Why didn't I know about that? I've never seen it." Kim teased, but she smiled, pleased with the comment.

Jean kicked one of Kim's legs, making it fall off the couch. Kim had to put it back, and used the opportunity to gently kick at Jean's leg as she did it. "Goofball." Jean smiled at her and glanced at the commercial on the television for just a moment.

"Are you okay?" Kim asked softly, the joking and teasing gone as she asked it.

"Yeah, I just need some time off once in a while and if I'm there everyone tries to talk me into doing something or other for the school." Jean sighed. "I also told Scott that I couldn't be on his team anymore and he's acting like I'm being a problem, but the temptation to NOT watch her back is too much, and I'll be honest, he isn't all that much safer. I can't put myself in that situation, because if she ever did get hurt I'd wonder if I could have stopped it and just hadn't tried very hard."

"Yeah, that's really messed up." Kim shook her head at the problems Jean had to deal with that NO other divorced woman would.

"But they are the team that doesn't wander around too much. Warren's team is around more than Ororo's, but I would have preferred to work with her. Not that Warren or Kurt aren't good leaders, but when Ororo is leading a team, it's a real team."

"And she's your best friend." Kim added, knowing it was a factor. It felt strange talking about what superhero team to join, not a discussion she'd ever had with anyone before.

"The Professor rarely went on missions. He ran it all from the mansion, and I'm starting to think maybe I should try that for a while. At least until something that makes sense happens. Things change all the time." Jean sighed. "The school has to be someone's priority too, can I afford to be on a team when I still have a school to run?"

Kim knew that she could tell Jean to quit the teams and focus on the safer job of running a school, not that Jean would listen if she wasn't thinking of doing that anyhow, but she didn't. "What do you want? And do you really have to decide now? Can it wait until you're more comfortable being the headmistress?"

"See, this is why I love spending time with you." Jean kicked Kim's leg off the couch again. "With you it isn't all about responsibilities and expectations, but about what I want and what would make me happiest."

"What would make you happiest?" Kim asked as she once again resituated herself and brought her leg back onto the couch.

"Someone to hold me at night." Jean stared out the window at trees. "I miss that." The subject change was jarring and Kim took a moment to consider it.

"So do I." Kim sighed heavily. "Or having someone to talk to after a day of work."

"And sex, sex with someone that wants to cuddle afterwards." Jean picked up the pillow that she'd tossed to the floor earlier and hugged it to her body. "The kind of sex that feels like a physical expression of love, and a promise for the future."

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I felt that. It had become nothing really special with Vicki a while before she left. I think I haven't made love like that in over a year. Things you don't notice until it's too late." Kim paused and felt a little awkward with the comment she felt she needed to make. "But you are so special, you won't be single forever. You probably won't be single long." And Kim found she didn't like that idea. When Jean did move on these nights would be a thing of the past.

"Yeah," Jean smiled a little wistfully, "but I want someone that can understand my life and not be a part of some of it; to be okay with not being a part of some of my life. I'm not looking for a hero." Jean sighed and Kim just watched her, enthralled by Jean's words of what she wanted. "I want someone who knows how to relax in a way Scott never could, but is able to work hard as well. Someone that cares about people, feels the same way I do about relationships, and can make me laugh when everything makes me want to cry." Jean sighed. "I want someone I can talk to for hours and still have more to say. Someone I can also just be with and not have to talk, you know and get that comfortable sense of being together." Kim nodded that she understood that. "I don't want to waste time with people I know won't work out. I want someone that knows how to stick around and values commitment."

"So, that means no Logan huh?" Kim asked once it had been quiet a little while.

"Yeah, he's attractive, but he's not reliable. I can see that." Jean tossed the pillow in her arms toward Kim. "I really should get going."

"Okay. Come over anytime. If I have to work you can just hang out." Kim told Jean as she stood up to let her out. She hugged Jean and watched at the window as Jean drove away, mulling over the fact that Jean never said he. She kept saying someone, not he. Kim moved around, picking up the pizza box and breaking it down as she entertained a new idea, a risky one.


	5. Chapter 9 & epilogue

CHAPTER 9

The black dress shimmered on the bed as Kim worked very carefully to pull the panty hose up without ruining them. She twisted and tugged herself into them and then took a good look in the mirror to make sure they looked alright. The shoes were black dress slingbacks with two inch heels. Kim put them on and stood up while staring down at them. It had been a while since she'd worn these, and Kim had to push her mind away from happier days with her ex and focus on what she was doing.

Dressed in panty hose and shoes and nothing else Kim finished up her makeup. Her eyelids glittered and her lips were red. Kim gently used her hands to move the loose curls she'd put into her shoulder length brown hair into place, the curls softening her look and making her look more elegant than she normally did. Kim studied her cheekbones, one feature she'd always been told she should be grateful for, and then moved to carefully pull the dress over her head so it didn't mess up any of her hard work, moving the black dress down past her hips before adjusted the top and making sure it fit her well enough that she wouldn't slip out of it. She couldn't wear a bra with this dress, it dipped down in the back, exposing a large expanse of her back and in the front it showed a generous portion of her chest as well, stopping before getting into truly dangerous territory. It fell to just above her ankles, with a slit on one side that went up above her knee showing more of her leg if she moved just right.

Kim was just so glad the dress still fit. Turning slightly from side to side Kim studied her own curves to make sure it did what it was supposed to do, which was make her look like an attractive woman, one that people should take seriously as a woman. In her jeans and other site working clothes Kim tended to be more like one of the boys, but she wasn't going for that look tonight.

In one weeks time Kim had managed to even out her tan enough to pull this off. The elegant and unobtrusive necklace and matching earrings her father had given her for graduation were small focal points adding just a touch more class to the ensemble. Putting makeup and her wallet into a small purse, Kim took one last look at herself before leaving the room. The doorbell signaled that she was right on time.

Kim's footsteps on the wood floor clicked. When she got to the door she didn't open it right away, first she took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. The door opened and Kim felt herself start to smile as Jean's eyes widened when Jean saw her. Having Jean ask her out to this party, pick her up for it as well, it felt like being picked up for a date. Kim had decided to play it like that was what it was and see what happened. That was why her best and sexiest dress came out from the dark corner of the closet to finally see daylight again, instead of her more business oriented clothes she used for other work related evening party/business meetings.

Jean was wearing a green dress that brought out her eyes beautifully, eyes that seemed to smile. "You look amazing." Kim blushed at the compliment.

Kim let her eyes wander over the makeup and beautiful hairdo Jean had and was glad she'd dressed up, because this wasn't just a party with friends, a house warming party. "Thank you, so do you." It felt a little awkward, so Kim took a step outside and pulled the door closed behind her. "Shall we?"

………………….

The sound of music reached them as Jean and Kim walked up to the front door of the new building. "I hope we don't have to replace the flooring tomorrow." Kim muttered and Jean just smiled at her, making it seem more familiar, even as Kim gently held Jean's elbow as they went inside. Kim did notice that Jean didn't pull away, she even patted Kim's hand gently as they moved towards the crowds. Everyone was dressed up, Kim could see Ororo and Sage near a table of food, she glanced around until she saw the Professor and he glanced over at her from him conversation to nod hello.

Kim also saw Emma and Scott dancing in the distance, but she barely paid attention to them. "Are you thirsty?" Jean asked her with a small smile.

"A little."

"Let's go see if Ororo is keeping Remy from spiking the punch or if she's hoarding it all for herself."

"Oh, is this our Master Builder?" A deep voice asked and Kim turned to see Hank standing still staring at her and Jean with a smile. Kim no longer felt he was getting ready to bite when he did that. He was actually a very sweet man. "Oh Kim, you look exquisite tonight." He turned to look at Jean, "You both do."

"Thank you Hank." Jean smiled and reached to grab Kim's hand, "but you still can't dance with her until she's danced with me first." Kim couldn't help it, she knew her eyes had to be adoring as she looked at Jean, but she glanced away before Jean looked back. Kim worried she was getting caught up in a fantasy and it wasn't what she thought. The idea of looking foolish like that scared her.

"Well, I do look forward to when you are free Madame." Hank told her and bowed a little. He was so huge dancing with him would be hard to do, but Kim wasn't going to tell him no.

When they walked up to Ororo and Sage, Kim blushed at Sage slowly looked her up and down. It took a hint of a smile for Kim to see Sage was teasing her. That woman was so serious most of the time that it always took Kim by surprise when she wasn't being serious. "You look nice tonight Kim."

"Thank you."

"I didn't know you cleaned up so nice." Ororo's eyes were a bit more dangerous than Sage's without seeming hostile, just far too intense, and Kim didn't like the glance toward Jean Ororo did as Jean poured Kim a cup. "You two look very nice." Ororo spoke just a little slower and Kim was grateful for the cup Jean handed her at that moment. It gave Kim a reason to let Jean answer Ororo.

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." Jean spoke easily with her friend and Kim didn't really feel too awkward to find herself standing with Sage as the other two women spoke about the promotion.

"You've changed." Sage spoke those two words quietly and Kim's eyebrows drew together trying to understand the woman. "It's not just the clothes." Kim couldn't even begin to know how to respond to that. "It looks good on you." Sage gave a hint of a smile and then turned to face Ororo again as Jean and Ororo pulled Sage and Kim into the conversation.

Kim debated about whether or not to do it as she heard a soft slow song start. A few couples were dancing so it wouldn't seem strange to dance, but to pick this song would make a clear message. The singer's voice just started to join the music being played over the stereo and Kim took a step closer to Jean, rested a hand on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper. "Dance with me?" Kim's heart was pounding as she waited to see Jean's response.

Jean reached out and took her hand when Kim let her hand drop from Jean's shoulder. "I'd love to." Jean's green eyes stared into Kim's. Kim gave her a shy smile in return.

Kim and Jean stepped out to where the others were dancing, and Kim could see that someone had decided to dance with Hank. They stood facing each other for a moment and Kim took a hesitant step closer. "Jean?"

"Dance." Jean spoke so softly that Kim was reading her lips rather than hearing her. Jean's hand moved to rest on Kim's hip gently as Kim got closer and pulled her a little closer. "Can you waltz?" Jean asked by leaning in to whisper in Kim's ear. Kim just nodded so that her voice wouldn't reveal how much she liked having Jean whisper in her ear. "I'll lead."

"Why do you get to lead?" Kim smiled as they started to dance and teased Jean gently. "This isn't a mutant thing is it?"

"No, it's a redhead thing." Jean said as she led Kim to the right. "It goes with the fiery temper."

"I've never seen you get mad." Kim said as they started to dance closer together, resisting the urge to rest her head on Jean's shoulder. Jean did have a few inches on her, which was the most likely reason she was leading.

"When I do, it's fiery." Jean pulled back enough to look into Kim's eyes and Kim's eyes widened to see fire reflected in the redhead's eyes.

"I'm not scared." Kim moved forward to dance closer to Jean, leading for just a moment, before Jean took over. "I can handle you."

"Really?" Jean sounded amused, so Kim leaned in closer.

"Yep. You're not so tough."

"Oh Really?" Jean whispered it and Kim pulled back so she could look into Jean's eyes. Kim started to lean in, seeking a kiss.

"I would like to have everyone's attention." The music stopped and Kim froze as she heard the Professor's voice fill the room. Oh god, not now, Kim mentally groaned as she pulled back and sighed heavily. It had taken her so long to build up to that, Kim thought with more than a little irritation.

"I have to go up there." Jean spoke and Kim felt frustrated and wished that Jean weren't one of the guests of honor tonight, because then people wouldn't be pulling the redhead away from her just when Kim had finally planned to make a move. "We'll finish our dance later."

"Okay." Kim stood still for a moment as Jean moved toward the Professor, before deciding she didn't need to be on the dance floor for this. Kim walked through a milling crowd of people looking at the Professor and quietly chatting with each other, in her quest for the table and the punch. From what Kim had seen of the Professor's speeches, it might be a while before it ended.

……………………..

Jean was trapped, Kim watched as the crowd surrounded Jean to congratulate her and sighed. She'd need to be a mutant with some interesting powers to get past them all to get to Jean's side. The speech hadn't been as long at Kim feared, but with that crowd of well wishers it would be a long time before Kim saw her date again.

Feeling a little abandoned, and selfish for feeling that way, Kim moved to look at the balcony and to get some cool fresh air.

Kim found herself alone on that balcony as she stared up at the sky. It was an amazing night and the stars were glittering and shining more than Kim remembered seeing in a long time. Wrapping her own arms around herself she just stared up, looking for the moon, while listening to the soft night sounds in the distance, and the muffled sounds of the party in the building.

A shooting star streaked in the sky just past the moon and Kim leaned over the railing a little, feeling the cool stone of the railing as she stared at it and made a wish.

"It is so beautiful tonight." A voice whispered, surprising Kim. She turned to see Jean standing in the doorway, closing the door behind her.

"It was a little warm inside." Kim turned back to try and see her shooting star. "A little crowded. I'm sorry I left."

"It isn't like it's hard for me to find you." Jean moved to stand leaning over to the balcony to look at the moon. "Full moon, it really doesn't get more beautiful here at the mansion."

Kim was seeing the way the moonlight shown in Jean's hair. "No it doesn't." She whispered and Jean turned to look at her, clearly studying her. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, inside and out." Kim took a step closer. Her heart pounded and her hands shook. "Jean," Kim's eyes fell to the door and then back at Jean, "I feel so close to you." Kim's hand moved out to caress red hair out of Jean's face as the woman watched her with soft eyes. "Can I kiss you?" Kim asked in a whisper, putting her heart out there on the line again, after all those lonely nights where she felt like she'd never be able to again. Looking into Jean's eyes, Kim realized she wasn't afraid.

Jean didn't say anything, but Kim could see the yes in her eyes and leaned closer, gently touching her lips to Jean's, slowly caressing lips with lips, until she moved a little closer, deepening a kiss that was slow and gentle and so very good.

Oh god, please don't stop, Kim thought as she kissed Jean, holding her tighter.

I won't, a mental touch from the redhead replied and the kiss moved to Jean kissing Kim's neck. "Yes." Kim hissed out as her hands moved through Jean's hair.

Yes what, Jean's mental touch asked as Jean's lips moved to touch Kim's ear.

"Yes there is a God, and I must be his favorite child."

Jean started to chuckle in Kim's ear. Kim grinned and moved to kiss Jean gently on the lips once the redhead stopped chuckling. Kim's voice softened and the teasing was gone from it. "Slower, or I'll need you tonight and it's too soon."

"Don't stop, and then slower?" Jean's smile was wicked. "There is only one of you in there isn't there?"

"You can't blame me for my thoughts." Kim moved closer, until Jean wrapped her arms around her. "But I want to do this right. I want a relationship."

"We already have one. This will just make it deeper." They stood on the balcony staring at the stars for a long time, close and just the two of them before they resigned themselves to joining the party again, if only to get to the front door and away.

Jean walked Kim to the door and kissed her goodnight. It took a lot of willpower, almost more than Kim had, to not ask Jean in that night. "How long do you want to wait?" Jean asked her and Kim couldn't help giving Jean a wry smile.

"I doubt I'll last long. Maybe three dates? That's the tradition isn't it? I give in earlier and you'll think I'm too easy and I wait too much longer and you'll think I'm frigid or something and move on to someone easier." Kim teased and Jean did laugh, but then she caressed Kim's hand.

"I don't need someone easier. We've both been hurt, and if it takes time, well, we can take that time to build something that can last."

Kim's eyes were glassy as she took Jean's hand in her own. "Yes, I want to build something that can last." Her own desires were for something lasting and real, and she could see that with Jean.

………………….

"I think this should count as a date." Jean's teasing voice had Kim blushing, because if this inspection of one of the dorm buildings counted as a date it would be the third. Jean had asked her to look at the building before it was blown up in some future catastrophe, and while it was a lame excuse to get Kim over to the school, Kim had eagerly left her lonely house to do it. It was just a walk through, and most likely Jean was already considering remodeling it. It did appear to be filled to capacity.

"If this is the best you can come up with for a date, then I think I need to shop around here a little more." Kim smirked, but to make sure the words didn't sting she caressed Jean's arm and leaned closer. "Take me out to dinner afterwards and it'll count." Kim's voice deepened just a little as she said that, her eyes staring into Jean's.

"I wish I could." Jean glanced around and pulled Kim into a room with her, it appeared to be the laundry room. "We have the Fantastic Four dropping by and I can't very well tell them that my girlfriend and I are leaving for dinner, but the kitchen is that way."

Kim felt a little shocked at the guest list. "No, I guess you can't."

"Stay for dinner?" Jean kissed her gently. "I promise a real third date, but it would be nice to have you with me tonight."

"Okay." Kim was a little nervous at the thought of being around heroes, or more heroes she guessed. She just didn't think of the people she worked with on a building that way, but they were. Jean was. "You have them over often?" Kim had to ask, not sure how she felt about this. She realized she felt a little inadequate actually.

"Not really, but they were on a joint mission with one of our teams. The jet will get back around dinnertime, so we invited them to stay and see the new building you designed for us." Jean told her, but Kim was slightly distracted by the way Jean's thumb caressed the back of Kim's hand. "It would be nice if they could meet our architect," Jean's voice became softer, "My architect."

"I guess I could stay." Kim only pretended to consider it, her evening if Jean weren't a part of it wouldn't have been very interesting. She might have started the Robertson house plans early, or she could have gone to the store and bought more paint to repaint what had been Vicki's office as she reclaimed it as a guest room, even if she doubted she'd need it. Nothing she couldn't do another day.

An hour later the jet landed and Kim reluctantly followed Jean towards it. Others were moving closer as well. When the ramp came down, Kim noticed Scott and Emma immediately. So it was Jean's old team that had been on a mission, Kim thought as she watched other faces, ones only familiar from television, follow Scott and Emma down to the ground. Jean smiled and chatted as Kim stood quietly, trying to pay more attention to the plane than the large brick of a man that came down the ramp next, knowing that staring was a bad idea even if he was so recognizable.

"Jean." The Invisible woman smiled and came closer to them. Kim tried to be just as invisible as that woman could become by being quiet as Jean and Susan Richards said their hellos.

"The building must still be standing." Emma muttered as she got closer. "So what are you doing here?"

Kim ignored her like she used to ignore the stuck up girls in high school.

"Reed, Susan, I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Kimberly Brown." Jean smiled at her and Kim gave a tense smile to the visiting heroes, again pretending she didn't hear someone, but this time it was a stunned sound that might have been a word from Scott.

"It's nice to meet you." Susan was so polite and actually moved to shake Kim's hand, so Kim did it briefly, letting go as soon as it was appropriate so she didn't look like a fangirl stalker, especially not in front of Jean.

"Nice to meet you too." Kim nodded to include Mr. Fantastic in with that comment. The Thing and the Human Torch were just getting up to the growing group.

"Kim's an architect." Jean actually bragged about her in front of these people. "She helped us rebuild the school."

"Good person to know in our business, someone to help put it all back together again." Kim blushed as Susan said that with a hint of approval in her voice. Jean took Kim's hand and smiled at her.

"Yes, she is." Jean turned toward the building. "If you all need to use our showers before dinner feel free." Directions were given and the Fantastic Four were led away by Scott, who clearly would be asking questions of Jean later. It was so obvious he wanted to talk to her and Kim hated the idea of him doing it. There was nothing she could do though, this was Jean's fight if it became one.

"So, the Invisible Woman?" Jean asked quietly and small smirk on her lips and Kim blushed.

"What, was I obvious?"

"Not really." Jean moved closer, her voice a whisper. "I just couldn't help but hear you mentally telling yourself to let go of her hand."

"I love you." Kim whispered back, her body moving closer to Jean's so that they were nearly hugging. "I'm sorry I got a little star struck."

Jean wrapped her arms around Kim and held her close. "No problem. You're very discrete."

"I'd rather have an evening alone with my hero than spend the night talking with those." Kim made her feelings clear.

"Maybe tomorrow night." Jean kissed her lightly, "But tonight you'll just have to suffer with eating with your teenage crush."

"Okay, I did not have a crush on her." Kim tried to not smile. "And if my brother says I had a poster of her on the wall he's a liar. He's always been a liar."

"You had a poster?" Jean shook her head and Kim laughed at the almost baffled expression on Jean's face.

"No, I just wanted to see your face if you thought I did." Kim grinned and moved to try and avoid the playful swat Jean aimed at Kim's rear end.

…………………

Dinner was fine once Kim started to relax and just talk to the famous people like they were normal. Scott might have been staring a bit more than normal, but Kim was glad that he had to do that from much further down the large table and not next to her or Jean.

The Thing, or Ben as he'd told her to call him, sat across from Kim. "You build nice stuff. Big doors." He told her.

"I also designed the floor to take a lot more weight and had to raise the ceilings considerably so Hank wouldn't be hitting his head too often." Kim smiled and glanced over at where Jean was talking with Reed about something.

"That's important. I've been house hunting and the ceilings and doors are a big problem." He glanced down at the orange rocks that made up his body.

"You can have doors specially made. It isn't cheap, but that's what we had to do here." Kim glanced around and fought the urge to ask Ben to follow her to look at a few things she'd built into the place he might like to consider for his own home. "If you build do a one story with high ceilings and you can get the doors you need." She glanced at his body for a moment and hated to bring it up, but someone would have to or he'd end up with a house that didn't fit him right. "And you'll need a reinforced floor or you'll be tip toeing everywhere so you don't break it."

"You do this often?" He asked and Kim gave him a puzzled look.

"I design houses."

"No, I mean making houses for big guys like me."

"This place," Kim glanced around at the room around them looking at the walls, but she didn't miss the way Scott was staring at her. Kim wondered if he was one of those men that didn't want his ex, but didn't want anyone else to have her either, especially a woman. She kind of hoped he choked on his jealousy and that Emma ripped him a new one for it. "I built this one to last. I've built another house but it wasn't for large guys. My brother's mutation makes him very small and I needed to figure out how to make a house that worked."

"Ya think you could make me a house?" He asked and it almost seemed shy. Kim smiled at him.

"I'm sure I could. I have a lot of ideas already I think you might like." She paused, not wanting to oversell him, but still believing she was probably one of the best to help him. "I could bring samples and ideas to the Baxter building for you to look at." Everyone knew where these four lived. That might be why he wanted a house.

……………………

The next night Jean took Kim out to a very nice restaurant and a local production of a play. It was a nice date, but Kim spent too much of it thinking of the fact it was the third and she was glad it was. Her own self imposed rule had been hard to live with, but she didn't want to rush things either. She didn't feel it would be rushing tonight, but she wasn't sure if Jean was ready. Scott apparently thought Jean wasn't gay, he'd said that to Jean the night before as Kim was getting ready to leave. Kim never got to hear Jean's reply. It wasn't vocal, but Kim did get to see Scott storm off.

The redhead wouldn't string her along so she wouldn't be alone would she? Kim thought as they drove up to Kim's house, worrying that Jean might not actually be interested.

"I am." Jean caressed Kim's leg gently as they stopped. "Don't let Scott's jealous tantrum make you doubt me. I am very interested in you Kim. I find you attractive inside and out." Jean smiled as she quoted something Kim had said to her.

"Come inside?" Kim asked, she didn't bother with the common lie about coffee. There was only one thing she was inviting Jean inside for.

"I'd love to." Jean told her softly and Kim's heart felt fluttery and nervous. They walked up to the front door, and Jean pulled Kim into a kiss before Kim could open the door.

EPILOGUE

"His power makes it so he can only wear synthetic clothes. Anything natural turns to dust on him." Jean told Kim while they sat in the office. "Wood too. We need to do something with his room so he can relax, change his clothes, just be able to exist without worrying about what he touches for a while."

"I'll bring some samples in." Kim started to consider what would need to be done to remodel one dorm room into something this boy could actually live in. "Let him see if they hold up to his power."

"You don't even blink anymore." Jean reached out and took Kim's hand, changing the business meeting into a personal one.

"After a few houses I just started to think about the problems and solutions and less about the mutations. People don't want a human doing any more than that." Kim admitted. Her after hours work on a few specialty houses for people that couldn't live in normal houses had taught her to see the issues quickly and problem solve even faster. She needed to be fast to keep her clients from starting to feel self conscious. She may have only had three clients so far, but she learned fast that once people found out she was a human she needed to prove herself fast or she'd lose the job when mutants assumed she couldn't understand, or didn't want her trying to.

"Poor baby." Jean caressed Kim's hair. "Eventually you won't have to work so hard to gain their trust."

"Yeah." Kim sighed and leaned into Jean's caress. It would be nice, but for now Kim was going to have to prove herself over and over again to nervous mutants just wanting to live as normal a life as the world would let them. She found the people she wanted to help have their homes, to make them fit, and it was worth the trouble she went through to see how happy she made them.

These after hours jobs paid for her house, but she would have agreed to do them even if they didn't. That last woman that Kim worked for was so happy she'd cried, because she'd never thought she could actually have a home that one couldn't be built to fit her. She made Kim feel like a hero.

"I could use some time in the hot tub." Jean rolled her head, stretching her neck and Kim moved to rub it gently for the redhead. "Oh, that's nice." Jean muttered.

"Go change and I'll meet you there." Kim told Jean as she stopped the massage.

"My suit is in the laundry." Jean grinned a little and Kim shook her head. She'd had to put up a privacy fence to keep the hot tub private after Jean started spending more and more time at Kim's house.

"I'd tell you to bring more clothes over if I didn't want you to hot tub naked." Kim leaned closer and kissed Jean. "Come on; let's work out your stress."

"I like how you say that."

"You are staying the night again aren't you?"

"I think it would be a good idea." Jean smiled just a little.

"Oh yeah, very good idea."

THE END


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